Tension device for autographic registers.



M. G. STERN & A. G. V. MALM'.

TENSION DEVICE FOR AUTOGRAPHIO REGISTERS. APPLICATION 1 1mm JAN. 19, 1914.

Patented Sept. 15,1914;

arboznug 3,

MILTON C. STERN AND AXEL o. V.'MALM, or REGISTER COMPANY, or DAYTON,

DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE EGRY OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TENSION DEVICE FOR AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTERS.

I Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Application filed January 19, 1914. Serial No. 812,904.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MILTON C. STERN and AXEL C.-V. MALM, citizens of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new ments in Tension Devices for Autographic Registers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to tension devices for autographic registers. In autographic registers of the type to which this invention is applied, a plurality of webs of paper are fed over to the writing table and under a blade by means of which portions of the webs may be severed from the body thereof. Carbon sheets are interleaved between the webs and when a record has been written upon those portions of the web which lie above the writing table, these portions are drawn forward beyond the blade and severed. In this particular type of machine the webs of the paper are drawn forward by hand and the blade is pivoted so that it can be moved into and out of engagement with the webs of paper. In order to hold the webs of paper in their proper relative positions both when the blade is out of engagement therewith and during the tearing operation, tension devices 'are provide which exert a yielding pressure upon the paper and hold the several webs in their proper relative positions. The devices heretofore commonly used for this purpose comprise what are known as tension-fans, consisting of flat springs extending to one side of a Shaft upon which they are mounted and bearing witlia yielding pressure upon the uppermost web of paper. The use of these devices makes it necessary to place the cutting edge of the blade at a considerable distance from the'body of the bill which is being filled out, and which is to be subsequently severed from the web of paper, thereby causing a considerable quantity of paper to be wasted with each bill.

The object of the present invention is to rovide tension devices of such a character that the cutting edge of the blade may be arranged close to the same and close to the body of the bill, thus eliminating the waste of paper above mentioned.

A further object of the invention is to form the tension devices of such a character and useful Improve-- away; and Fig.

"webs of paper are that those portions thereof bearing upon the paper will offer a minimum resistance thereto when the paper is being drawn forward, and will not be liable to catch, snag, or tear the paper as is often the case with the ten sion-fans Further, an object of provide means for causing the tension devices to positively engage the paper during the inscribing and tearing operation.

A still further object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the devices that they will be simple in character, inexpensive to manufacture, and not liable to be broken or rendered inoperative, thereby enabling the devices to be manufactured at a low cost as well as eliminating the unnecessary waste of the paper in connection with the severing of the bill.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of an autographic' register embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the same showing the blade partially broken I 3 is a longitudinal section of the device taken through the blade and showing the tension device in elevation.

In these drawings we have shown the invention as applied to an autographic register of a well known construction, but it the invention is to d will be understood that this particular register is chosen for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is applicable not only to autographic registersv of various kinds, but to other devices where fed in a similar manner.

We have shown only so much of the register'as is necessary to an understanding of our invention, and as here shown it consists of a frame-having side walls 1. Carried by these side walls is a supporting plate or writing table 2 over which are carried a plurality of webs of paper 3, these webs being drawn from a suitable supply such as the ordinary paper rolls, arranged below the writing table but not here shown. Carbon paper, or other transfer material, is interleaved between the webs of paper above the writing table, as shown at 4:, and a top or cover 5 rests upon the frame and is provided with an opening above the writing table to afford access to that portion of the upper web which rests upon the writing table. The edges of the cover, however, overlap the edges of the paper to protect the same. Arranged above the writing table near the forward edge thereof, is a cutter or blade 6 which, in the present instance constitutes a housing under which the tension devices are arranged. The blade is pivotally mounted at its rear edge in brackets 7 carried by the mainframe, and it has its cutting edge held normally in engagement .with the paper by a spring 8. The blade is also provided with a handle or thumb piece 9 by means of which it may be moved out of engagement with the paper while the latter is being drawn forward. The feeding or drawing forward of the paper to enable the Written portions thereof to be severed is, in this type of machine, accomplished by hand. And to this end the forward edge of the writing table which extends beneath the cutter blade 6 has a recess 10 over which the front edge of the web of paper will project in such a manner that it may be grasped between thumb and finger of the operator and drawn forward, the blade having been raised to permit the paper to be grasped, as

. yond the edge of the blade,

stated. In the present drawings the writing table is shown projecting some distance bebut this is an optional arrangement and very satisfactory results may be had by terminating the writ ing table close to the edge of the blade.

The tension devices are preferably mounted beneath the housing formed by the blade (Band to this end we have attached to the cover 5 beneath the rear portion of the blade structure a transverse bar 11. Mounted on this bar l1 are a plurality of tension devices which in the present instance comprise vertically movable plungers 12 havinglarge fiat head portions 13 and curved bases or shoes 14 which bear upon the upper Web of paper and are pressed into engagement therewith by means of springs 15 coiled about the plungers and confined between the shoes 14:

not liable to snag the paper or catch the.

weak or broken places and tear the same. These plungers and the bar by which they are harried form a very small compact device and may be arranged beneath the housing formed bythe cutter and close to the edge of the cutter. Thus the amount of paper lying between the written portion of the bill and the forward edge thereof is materially reduced, amounting to a saving in the pres ent machine of from one-half to. threefourths inch on each bill. There is, of course,

a tendency for the paper to slip under the edge of tion, if the blade is not engagement therewith. In order' that the tension devices may be utilized to assist in preventing the displacement of the paper during the tearing operation, we have provided means to cause the plungers to positively engage the paper and to be heldfirmly in engagement therewith. This is accomplished in the present instance by providing the housing of the cutter blade with a projection, such as a longitudinal flange 16, extending into the housing above the flat heads 13 of the plungers. The arrangement of the projection or flange is such that it will be moved into and out of engagement with the plungers as the blade is moved into and out of engagement with the paper. Thus, when the blade is lifted the forward movement of the paper is resisted only by the ten sion of the springs of the tension device. W hen the 'blade is moved into engagement with the paper for the purpose of severing the same, the flange will engage the heads ofthe plungers, move the latter downward and force them firmly into engagement with j the paper and hold them in engagement with e paper so long as the blade is held in engagement therewith, thereby very materially aiding in the holding of the paper. The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that We have not only eliminated the waste of much paper but that wehave also provided means for converting the resilient tension devices into positive gripping devices to hold the paper firmly during the tearing operation and that iwe have so constructed and arranged the I whole mechanism that it is very compact, j very simple, may be manufactured at a low 1 cost and is not likely to be broken or to become disarranged in service. We also wish it to be understood that while we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention we do not wish to-be limited to the details shown and described because various modifications will readily occur to one skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is y In an autographic register having a writing table, a supporting member extending transversely of said register at the forward end of said writing table, plungers mounted for vertical movement in substantially the plane of said supporting member, springs tending to move said plungers toward the paper on that portion of said writ ing table which projects beneath said memher. and a blade pivotally mounted on said register and arranged to engage the paper close to said plungers.

held very firmly in pivotally mounted on said register,

the paper in front of 2. In an autographic register having a writing table, a supporting member extending. transversely of said register adjacent to said writing table, a spring pressed plunger mounted on said supporting member and having at'its lower end a shoe provided with a curved face to engage said paper, and a blade pivotally mounted on said register to engage the paper close to said sup porting member.

3. In an autographic register, the combination with a table to support webs of paper, vertically movable tension devices supported above said table and arranged to engage said paper on said table, and a blade arranged the paper near said tension devices and having a part adapted to engage said tension devices to move the same in positive engagement with said paper when said blade is moved into engagement with said paper.

4. In a device of the character described, a main frame, a table carried thereby to support webs of paper, vertically movable tension devices arranged to engage said paper, and a blade pivotally mounted on said frame in the rear of said tension devices, extending forwardly above'the same, having its cutting edge arranged to engage said tension devices and having a part to engage said tension devices and move them toward the paper when the blade is moved toward the paper.

5. In an autographic register having a writing table, a plurality of tension devices arranged close to the forward end of said writing table, and a blade pivotally mounted on said register and arranged to engage the paper in front of said tension devices, and a part connected with sa1d blade in front of the axis thereof to engage the tension devices when the blade engages the aper.

6. In a device of the character described, a table carried thereby to sup ort webs of paper, a supporting bar carried by said main frame, spring actuated plungers mounted for vertical movement on said bar, a cutter comprising a cutting edge and having a rearwardly extending portion arranged above said plungers and pivotally connected to said main frame in the rear of said plungers, said blade having a portion adapted to engage arranged above and move the same to engage said plungers to blade is moved toward the paper when said toward the paper.

7. In an autographic register, a main frame, a writing table carried thereby to support webs of paper, a bar extending transversely to said table and secured at its ends to said main frame, spring pressed plungers mounted in said. bar for vertical movement, a housing pivotally mounted on said main frame in the rear of said plungers and having a cutting edge arranged to engage the paper in front of said plungers, said housing having a portion arranged to engage said plungers when said housing is moved downward.

8. An autographic register comprising a writing table, a plurality of tension devlces close to the forward end of said writing table to engage the paper on said table, and a blade mounted above said writing table near the forward end thereof and having movement toward and away from said table, said blade having a part arranged to engage said tension devices and move the same toward the paper when said blade is moved toward the paper on said table.

9. In an autographic a main frame, a writing table carried thereby to support webs of paper, a bar extending transversely to said table and carried by said main frame, spring-pressed plungers mounted on said bar for vertical movement toward and away from the paper on said table, a housing mounted on said main frame for movement toward and away from said paper, extending over said tension devices and having a cutting edge arranged to be moved into engagement with the paper register comprising 'after it has passed said tension devices, said housing having a part arranged to engage said tension devices and cause the same to enga the paper on the table when said houslng is moved toward said paper.

'In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

MILTON C. STERN. AXEL C. V. MALM.

Witnesses:

H.- L. HAMMAKER, F. W. Sonanrna. 

